Showing posts with label book reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book reviews. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Books For Snowy Days~

  I have some books I like to read during the winter months- Some our old favorites and some a little newer!


  1) The Snowy Day/ Keats. This is a classic . Peter goes out into the snowy day and explores his neighborhood. When he is cold and tired , he goes home and his Mama warms him up with dry clothes and hot chocolate.


                                                              

2) The Snow Man / Briggs. Thin is a wordless picture book that the young students love to study the pictures and tell the story



3) Bear can't Sleep/ Wilson. All of Wilson's books are excellent. This one , Bear is having trouble going to sleep for winter!

Bear Can't Sleep by Karma Wilson









4.Katy and the Big Snow/ Burton- What can I say? Students love to hear the story about Katy. The illustrations can be explored over and over.




5. Christmas at Long Pond/ George. This is another of my favorites to read. The illustrations are rich and the story is a simple one about going to cut down a Christmas tree.




Monday, July 13, 2020

Great read!

  Marie Benedict has done it again. In Lady Clementine,  we learn about Winston Churchill's wife, and right hand ad visor. Benedict brings Clementine to life with her extensive research. We learn about her younger years and the years she was a helpmate to Churchill.
   All the characters come alive , you feel like you belong to the Churchill family. The details about the fashion, food ,and wartime activities are skillfully interwoven to make a wonderful story!  The writing is absolutely fascinating.
  I have also read  The Other Einstein and  Carnegie's Maid which were  equally  entertaining and  interesting.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Do you know The Fussy Librarian?

  I only just discovered this and I am thinking it will be a great source for eBooks. Best part of this - the eBooks are free ( or very low cost)!!
  If you go to the Fussy Librarian  (  https://www.thefussylibrarian.com/   )   and sign up ,  you can get a daily email with the latest  free eBooks for your Kindle, Nook, Apple or google play reader!
  There are listings for both adult, children/ middle grades and non-fiction categorizes.
Each listing shows the cover and also gives a short summary/ synopsis of the work.,
   You can get the full listing or you can customize it to the genres you like to read. If you don't want daily emails , you can tell it when  and how often you want to receive the listing of free eBooks.
Check this out if you like to do eBooks! The site also as articles for readers and authors that are informative and interesting.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Book Review- The Orphan's Song

 I have been reading quite regularly since school is out. I just finished The Orphans Song by Lauren Kate. She is a YA  author - I will check at school to see what / if we have any of hers. My Public library did not - which was surprising since the book jacket said they were excellent.  This is a historical fiction  which was right up my alley,
  Violetta  and  Mino meet on the roof of the Orphanage ( run by nuns) . Their musical talent draws them together and they spend hours with Violetta singing and Mino playing his violin. Each week they grow closer. and closer,
 When Mino is ready for his apprenticeship  , he declares his love for Violetta. But Violetta does not think she can leave her church singing when she is close to being asked to join the special choir of talented singers
Mino, in search  of his mother, goes out into Venice , distraught over losing his mother and Violetta,   Eventually he finds a wife who bears him a child. He begins to develop his Violin repair business, Violetta continues to sing . But she begins  secret nightlife of singing out side the church, which is forbidden.
 Neither Violetta or Mino really finds what they looking for,  An odd  relationship  that develops for Violetta which  finally brings about a interesting and satisfying conclusion,
  I couldn't stop reading this- excellent book. I want to look for more of Lauren Kate's work.

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Summer Vacation

   Yesterday was the first day of summer Vacation. Actually I was able to get everything accomplished - the basics  before the last day of school. We had 4 half days for students . So I got my grades done  and my summer reading list for the website.
And I got my budget finalized and did not lose any funds.
     The end of year items were also completed. We did not do inventory this year. I had planned to do it in September  but 2 weeks before school , they dropped the bomb that I was to have  5 classes per day plus a study hall. So the year was done on a minimal basis.
     So now I am focused on relaxing, catching up on house work, writing , and of course reading!

Friday, November 23, 2018

The Button War- Book Review

 Set during WWI , in a Polish village,is where the boys Button War starts. Seven boys who hang out together agree that the guy with the best button will be the Button King.
  The competition is fierce. Jurek  decides He will be the king, just because he thinks he is the best. Patryk and the others don't want him to win. Most of the them don't like the idea , but they don't want Jurek  to be the king, he is a bit of a bully.
  So they steal buttons form the soldiers wash line, and then begin  cutting them off dead bodies of the soldiers as the fight between the Germans and the Russians escalates.
  Jurek will do anything to be the Button King. The game becomes more and more dangerous. Patryk keeps on with the challenge  because he doesn't want Jurek to win, the others agree. The war torn village loses families to death and those so scared they leave. And still Jurek will not give up.

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Book Review- The Organized Librarian

  Kirkus just posted the review of my book on their site!  So excited to share this book with those who need a little extra help with their library work day!

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Mrs.Yingling Reads.blogspot.com

  Mrs, YinglingReads bog is a great find! She is a middle school librarian who shares book reviews.
She has read all of the books in her library! What an accomplishment!!
   Her blog is so neat. I can't wait to read as many of her reviews as I can and get some good ideas for books for my library!  This will be a great resources for me and other librarians looking for ideas for books for their libraries.
   I like her reviews. They are detailed . She also gives the book strengths and weaknesses, and the verdict- what she really thinks  about the book.
  She is really organized with her reviews- there are also tabs with suggestions  for books similar to famous titles that are the same genre.( there are suggestions for Adventure, fantasy, historical, humorous, and sports books.
http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Weekly Reading- So Be it


  Heidi and her mother (So B. it) live in Reno, next to Bernadette. Bernadette and Heidi take care of mother (who is mentally challenged) . Heidi has been with Bernadette and her mm since Heidi was a week old. Heidi doesn’t have aby other family that she knows of. 
   But when she finds some old photos, she being to wonder and ask questions about who the people were in the pictures. Her Mom’s limited vocabulary includes Soof. Heidi cannot figure out what it means. Heidi and Bernie start making calls to Liberty, NY to try and find out about the people in the phots..

  Heidi travels to liberty and finally gets the answers she is looking for. This is a bittersweet story that I would totally recommend.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Weekly Reading- The Magnolia Story

    I am a big fan of Fixer Upper(HGTV) , so my husband got me "The Magnolia Story"  by Chip & Joanna Gains for Christmas.  Chip and Joanna met at her Fathers Firestone store  when Chip was there with a friend. Chip was outgoing and an entrepreneur. Joanna  called her self an introvert.  After dating , they were soon married and lived in their first renovated home.

  There story is told in both their voices , but mostly Joanna's. It details their many projects , setbacks, and problems. This was both interesting to learn about their early married years , and also inspiring   in ways they managed their personal and work lives in the businesses they pursued. This is  well written and show cases how they appreciate their hometown and the simple values of family and their ethic of hard work.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Weekly Reading- Eleanor & Park

     Eleanor & Park / Rowell was a book I just couldn't stop reading! Eleanor is a back with her mother and stepfather.   She wears weird clothes to conceal herself, and trys to manage her read curly red hair. She doesn't really fit in with most of her school mates.
   Park is part Asian, very cute, and also doesn't fit in with most of the school either. The two are thrown together on the bus- there is no where else for Eleanor to sit. They slowly develop a friendship and then a more serious relationship. 
  Rowell writes tight with great description and dialog that is just what teens sound like. This book make me laugh and cry. A true ending that is real life.  I loved this book and doesn't want it to end.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Weekly Reading

Into The Wilderness by Sarah Donati  is a book I could't put down. A historical novel series  begins in the 1790's . Elizabeth Middletown, an educated spinster of 29, comes from England to join her Father in upstate NY. She wants to be a teacher  to the children living in the area. Her Father wants her to marry Dr. Richard Todd,

 Elizabeth has no intention of marrying anyone. But she is drawn to Nathaniel, a backwoodsman, son of Hawkeye ( Hero of the The Last of the Mochicans)

  Nathaniel's people want to buy back Hidden Wolf mountain  from her Father's property. Elizabeth will inherit  the mountain as part of her wedding gift.

 The novel is  full of action, adventure, romance, and family life in that time period. NOw I can wait to get the next in the series- there are 6 in all.


Thursday, August 10, 2017

Weekly Reading- The House at Riverton

  Kate Morton has done it again with The House at Riverton !  Before WWI , Grace went to work at Riverton House for the Hartford family.  There is a movie to be made about the family and the tragedies that befell  them - and the tragic death of a family friend.  Grace,w as one of the witness actually knew the truth about what happened.

 The story is told in flashback pattern and brings to life the story of the wealthy family, and how life was lived in the 1920's and up to WWII. Grace tells the story of the family and the members of the household who worked at the house. We get a clear picture of what life was like.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Weekly Reading/American Heiress


   American Heiress is another great novel done by Daisy Goodwin .  Set in the 1890's , it begins in Newport, RI.  Cora Cash , as a young American " Princes"becomes a young lady, and is from one of the wealthiest family's in the East Coast.
   Her mother is intent is for her to marry well and into a title. After her debut,  she arrives in England to be brought out in English Society.  Quite by accident ( a horseback riding accident actually) Cora meets a very eligible ( but poor) Duke who rescues her. Their love story ends in a marriage that is both full of love, mystery, and scandal. A very good read you won't want to end.


Thursday, July 20, 2017

Weekly Reading- The Lake House

     Kate Morton's  The Lake House was excellent! Although in the middle I was wondering where it all was going . But at the end I could not believe how it turned out.  The novel spans a time frame of 70 years , so it goes back and forth between the two story lines.

   Alice,in the 1930's, and her family in Cornwall- and their privileged life.  The family's country estate is well hidden  but the home of a proper English family.The tragedy of  what happened with her Father and her Mother is kept secret from the world.  ( Father's shell shocked/ disappearance of  11 month old baby Theo)

   Sara, nearly seventy years later when visiting her grandfather, stumbles upon the estate  .  As a Detective she is intrigued by the story of the missing  and adored baby, so she is determined to find the answers of happened all those years ago.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Weekly Reading/ Clockwork Angel

ClockWork Angel by Cassandra Clare is the first in a series called The Infernal Devices. Tessa is trying to find her brother and be reunited with him, He is all the family she has left, Her parents died when she was very young, and now her beloved Aunt who had taken care of her and Nate has passed. She is on a mission to find Nate.
    Tessa is doing what she needs to do to find Nate- she travels  to England. She  gets entwined with the Dark Sisters because they are the link to getting to brother - but then she is tapped. The sisters teach her how to' change' and are trying to get her ready for the Magister.

  To me this is fantasy and horror rolled into one. Will and Jem and the Institute  become Tessa's new "family". When the Dark sisters are partially eliminated, The Institute  helps Tessa find her brother- but that brings up a whole new set of problems for them. Slowly they begin to unravel  how the Shadow hunters can save Nate and the Institute.  This leads into the second book of the series so  you will want to keep reading.

 The novel is well written and riveting  until the end. And then you are wondering what will happen next?

Friday, July 7, 2017

Weekly Reading- Summer Time! Victoria/ Goodwin

  This is my weekly reading series again! It is so nice to have time to read! ( That is what I do best!)
I just finished reading Victoria/ Goodwin and it was excellent. We had seen the PBS special in the winter and when I saw the book  ,I grabbed it.
 Goodwin follows the life of Queen Victoria in great detail. In the end papers , she notes that she wrote the novel while they were filming the shows. She had done extensive research  and brought Victoria to life.
 Victoria is the young queen who had a hard time being taken seriously , but it was a role she was meant to do. The descriptions of the 1830's and how life was for Victoria and her family are outstanding and interesting. If you saw the series ,and loved it , I would definitely recommend this book. I Only wish there was a second book-who knows maybe there will be. I would love to read more about Victoria and Albert !

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Wing & Claw: Forest of Wonders- Weekly Reading

  A new series by Linda Sue Park is Wing and Claw: Forest of Wonders  really caught my attention. Raffa, a young apothecary is learning to use the woods gatherings  of leaves and herbs from his Father. He finds a special vine with strong powers. With it he saves a small bat, but the vine leaves the bat with extraordinary powers.
    Raffa continues to experiment with the vine,  but he also wants to warn his cousin  of its power. The cousin and his family have moved to the big city to be apothecaries there.
     Something Raffa discovers  is very upsetting and he needs to  find out the truth about his relatives. This puts him in some danger, This a new series - I can't  wait to read the next one to see what happens!

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Book Review- Where Can We have the Party?

   The animals ( Elephant, Giraffe, Monkey, and Snake) are trying to find the best place to a birthday party for their friend Chimpanzee. But each idea of a place they come up with won't work for the chimpanzee or the four friends.  

     They finally find the perfect place- Hungle Bungle Park. The friends decorate the park with balloons, ribbons, streamers , and a Happy Birthday banner.  The whimsical illustrations are soft and  make a soothing yet colorful  jumble of the zoo and its animals.

    The party was a surprise  so they all yelled surprize when Chimpanzee arrived.  The friends danced, and played games, and had lots of fun together.  When the party was over, Chimpanzee told them,"This was the best birthday party ever!"

   This is a fun birthday story for children from 2 to 7.  The jungle party with the animals is a great twist on the birthday theme. The illustrations are fun and age appropriate . All the animals are friendly  looking and happy. This would make a great gift for a child's
birthday, they will want to read this story over and over.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Weekly Reading - Winter Street Trilogy

     I read all three in this series and I wish  there would be more! They were in order Winter 
Street, Winter Stroll, and Winter Storm.  Elin Hilderbrand's stories are magical and brings you right in with the characters and the setting.
    The focus is on the Quinn family and most of all it members have their own issues and problems. There are twists and turns  in this family saga. Head of the family is Kellely Quinn and his second wife Mitzi, not to be outdone by the Margaret Quinn , his first wife and mother to the first three grown children. Kellely and Mitzi run an Inn on Nantucket Island .Their son is Bart.
     You'll just have to read this engaging family story- you 'll want to read all of them if you like family stories. Now I am going to seek out some more of Hilderbrand's books  because I am believing they will be just as good.


Winter Stroll (Winter Street)